Leslie Kay Ledford, age 59, a resident of rural Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Thursday, September 21, 2023, at her home. She was born December 5, 1963, in Arlington, Texas, the daughter of Leslie Dale Harris and Kathryn Joyce Stark Harris. Leslie married Duane Ledford on December 17, 1982, at the Grace Baptist Tabernacle in Ft. Scott. Throughout her life, Leslie worked primarily in healthcare. She began working at Mercy Hospital in Ft. Scott as a nurse’s aide when she was just sixteen years old. She furthered her education, and continued with Mercy as a phlebotomist, a respiratory therapist, and later as a sleep study technician and an asthma educator. When Mercy Hospital closed, she transferred to St. Luke’s Hospital in Iola, Kansas where she served as manager of the Radiology and Respiratory Departments. Family was important to Leslie and many memories were made while camping, fishing and kayaking. Her love of the outdoors naturally led to her becoming Assistant Scout Master for her son’s Boy Scout Troop.
Leslie will be remembered for her artistic talent and her ability to be creative with a variety of different mediums. Leslie dearly loved her earthly family, but more importantly she loved her Heavenly Father and her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She was a long time member of the Grace Baptist Tabernacle. Her family finds comfort knowing that she is safe in God’s keeping.
Survivors include her husband, Duane, of the home; two sons, Nathaniel Ray Ledford of Ft. Scott and Mark Andrew Ledford (Kayla) of Joplin, Missouri and two grandsons, Rowan Ray Ledford and Soloman Dale “Solly” Ledford. Also surviving are her mother, Kathryn Harris of Ft. Scott and two sisters, Kimberly Carpenter also of Ft. Scott and Linda Link (Bruce) of Merriam, Kansas. Leslie was preceded in death by her father, Leslie Dale Harris.
Rev. Paul Rooks will conduct funeral services at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, September 27th at the Grace Baptist Tabernacle. Following services, there will be cremation with a private burial in the Prescott Cemetery. The family will receive friends from5 to 7 P.M. Tuesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Grace Baptist Tabernacle Mission Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook atcheneywitt.com.
